Charging device



April 30, 1935.

R. o. COMER CHARGING DEVICE Filed July 22 INVENTQR HagnerQCOmefi W A ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 30, 1935 v CHARGING DEVICE Ragner 0. Comer, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to The Solvay Process Company, Syracuse, N. Y., a

v corporation of New York Application July 22, 1931,- Serial No. 552,380 Olaims. (o1.,214 1s) The invention relates to a charging, device adapted for the introduction and distribution of material in a chamber, particularly into kilns and furnaces of the vertical or shaft type and in- 5 eludes correlated improvements and discoveries whereby the charging, operation may be more readily effected.

In the operation of kilns and furnaces (it being understood that hereinafter the use of the term kiln includes also furnaces), which are fed with mixtures of fuel and raw materials, it

is of'importance that the materials be evenlyand uniformly distributed in order that the fuel may be economically utilized and good results obtained with a production of rich gases at the top. The best results are obtained only by a proper proportioning and distribution in the kiln. A continuous conveyor is generally employed for the hoisting and conveying of the raw, bulk materials such as coal, coke, crushed stone, etc. However, the deposition of the raw materials di rectly by means ofa continuous conveyor possesses the disadvantagethat there is not obtained thereby a proper distribution throughout the volume of the kiln, which results in non-uniformity in the operations, or burning.

Further, when a mixture of fine and coarse, heavy and light materials flows down a chute for charging, the coarse and heavy materials are found on the top, flow faster and are projected a greater distance from the bottom of the chute than the fine materials which flow along the bottom and drop more vertically. The use of a chute therefore results in a segregation of the 35 materials which leads to non-uniform distribution and operation. This segregation is also more or less present in the charging of blast furnaces by means of skip hoists containing-relatively large bodies of coke, lime-stone and ore, inasmuch as the batch is discharged onto a charging cone or bell which distributes the material to the surface of the furnace. The introduction of the batch onto the cone and the re.- tention'thereof for some time permits more or lesssegregation of the materials and ensuing non-uniformity of distribution in the furnace.

More particularly, in the alkali industry, the lime kilns are at times fed by means of belts which discharge into the top of the kiln through chutes or other distributing devices. The results obtained have not been wholly satisfactory due to the segregation of the materials with the formation of so-called chimneys. The low resistance of these chimneys permits the blast of air 55 to flow therethrough more readily than in the remaining parts of the kiln which promotes a rapid local burning or overburning in these parts with a corresponding 'underburning in the other parts. In addition, the larger pieces of coke and limestone tend to segregate along the walls of 5 the kiln, yielding thereby greater freedom for thepassage of air and a more rapid burning adjacent the walls or lining. This causes amore frequent relining of the kiln which is an important factor in the general upkeep. It is an object of. the invention to provide a chargingv device which will obviate in a large measure the disadvantages attending the foregoing modes ofprocedure. Another object of the invention is to provide 15 a charging device whereby materials may be readily introduced into a kiln or furnace and substantially evenly distributed therein.

A further object of the invention is to provide a charging device in the operation of which a 20 continuous flow of material to a kiln or furnace is charged on the top surface of the material in the stack intermittently in batches. V a An additional object of the invention is to provide a charging device which automatically and due to the energy of the material being charged,

distributes the material on opposite sides of a median line, or towards and away from the wall of the kiln, and in a manner such that channeling or" the charge is substantially obviated, while a portion of the relatively finer particles of the charge is deposited adjacent the Wall and serve to protect it from deterioration.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus which effects thecharging of a kiln or furnace in a manner such that the material being charged is substantially uniformly distributed about the stack of the kiln, and which converts a continuous flow of material into an intermittent-batch charge which is deposited in different directions.

Other objects of the invention willin part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention aocordingly'comprises the fea-'. tures of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the following detailed disclosure. The scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims;

In utilizing an apparatus of the invention, the material to be charged to the kiln is conveyed to a suitable retaining means at the top of the kiln and from there the charge is led to the kiln continuouslyand distributed therein about the top surface of material in the stack intermittently in batches. It has been found that uniform distri- ,55

bution may be effected by an intermittent distribution in different directions. An alternate deposition of the charge on opposite sides of a median line and in concentric circles has given satisfactory results. The foregoing mode of operation may be accomplished by utilizing an apparatus comprising in combination a kiln having a revolvable top upon which is supported a means for retaining the charging material; asa hopper and a means for conducting the material from the hopper, as a chute to an opening in the top of the kiln. Positioned beneath the chute is a means for distributing the charge intermittently in batches in different directions, as for example, a tipper bucket. The tipper biicket; ccnstituting a part of the charging device or apparatus may include in its construction side walls of circular revolved.

form with a bearing member passing through the centers thereof, and a partitioning member forming pockets therein into which a continuous flow of material from the chute is deposited and from which, when the energy of the material is sufficient to overcome the position of the bucket and cause it to tip, the .material is charged into the kiln. The partitioning member may consist of bottom portions and an upwardly-rising dividing portion, thus forming within the bucket two pockets. I V

For fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in" connection with-the accompanying drawing, in.

which: v

Fig. 1 represents a verticalsection showing the charging device in position'on thetop of a kiln; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the tipper bucket positioned at the openmg in the top of a kiln and beneath a chute; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the top of the kiln showing the means whereby the top is Referring to Fig. 1', there is illustrated a kiln or furnace I having a as outlet 2 near the top. Above the kiln there is positioned a hopper 20 which is supplied with material from a conveyor (not shown) operating within a distributing conveyor house 22 in which the conveyor delivers the material to a chute 2| by which in turn it is led into the hopper- A chute l8 providedwith a damper I9 is connected at-its upper end with the base of the hopper and at its lower end with an opening I6 in the top of the kiln, and servesto lead material continuously from the hopper to the kiln. The top of the kiln is constructed in such a manner that it may be revolved, and comprises a turntable segment 9 carrying on its outer surface a ring gear H! which meshes and is driven by a gear 31 (Fig. 3) which gearis coupled by means of a suitable drive coupling 3| with a motor 30. The segment 9 has upon its lower surface and near the edge thereof arail member I2 upon which the revolvable top is supportedinasmuch asthis rail contacts with and is carried by a series of rollers 13 positioned in trunnions or bearings 21. Depending from the turntable segment 9 is a sealing ring or member M by means of which a seal is effected between the furnaceand the revolvable top. The ring M has a downwardlyextending portion 26 which extends into a troughlike member 55 in which a liquid, as water isplaced to accomplish the seal and prevent the escape of gas. l

, Upon the turntable segment 9 there is placed oover ll having an opening lficlose'd by plate 11 through which thejchute i8 passes. Positioned at the opening l6 and beneath the outlet of the chute I8 is a tipper bucket assembly 3 supported and positioned by means of the struts 8, to which the bearing member 25 which is here shown as an inverted T bar is secured. The tipper bucket,

as shown, is constructed of side walls 4 and 4, which are circular in form and between which there is a partitioning member fi consisting of botto'mpor'tion's 6 and an upwardlyrming dividing portion or portions 1 which are ioihd into a unitary structure 24 at the top. The tipper bucket, by means of the partitioning member is divided into two pockets, in the one or the other of which the charging material is deposited, depending upon the position of the bucket relative to the end of the chute.- The tipper bucket is provided with a stfop comprising a bar 33 pivoted on a side of the bucket and passing through a pivot 34 mounted in a bearing 35 carried on plate I1. Nuts 36 near the upper end of bar 33 limit the movement of the bar through pivot 34- so that the tipperbucket in moving from the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 is stopped in the position: shown full lines. It is ap arent that means may be provided for absorbing the shock Caused by the tipping bucket, which details of the apparatus need not be further amplified-since they may readily be provided by one skilled in the mechanical arts. A baffle 23 for deflection of the material being introduced into the kiln is positioned opposite the tipper bucket and supported by members attached to the top at the opening I61 Bafii'e 23 comprises a frame member 31 and bars 38 having their ends held? in the frame. Bars 38 are spaced apart to form a grid. If desired, baffle 23 may be positioned other than vertically as shown in Figs. 1 and -2.

In the operation of the charging device, the ins.- terial to be charged to the furnace is conveyed, for example, by a continuous conveyor (not Shown) to'tlfe distributiii'g house 22 and introduced into thechute 21 by means of which it is conducted to the hopper 20-. From the hopper the matenm is continuously led by the chute T8 to theopening 16 in the top of the furnace and deposited in one of the pockets of the tipper bucket. When the material so deposited is of sufiicient amount, by its weight, to actuate the tipper bucket, it will be caused to turn on its axis from, for example, the full line position shown in Fig. 2 to the dotted line position, and consequently distribute the material from the pocket about the surface of the'stack'in the kiln. The charging material will then flow into the other side or pocket of the bucket until a'suflicient amount causes a tipping of the bucket in an opposite direction. This material will thus be distributed in the kiln in a different direction and opposite to that at which material was previously introduced. Due to the top of the furnace carrying the tipperbucket being revolved, the position of the bucket with respect to the periphery of the furnace will be constantly changed, and the continued operation of the bucket with revolution of the top will cause the material to be deposited intermittently in batches in diiferen't directions alternately 'o'n 'Cippos'i'te sides of a diedian line'de'scribed b'y theaxis of the tipper-bucket and in concentric circles. In "order to protect the lining or wall of the furnace by obviating a rapid burning at the wall, the material, upon being discharged from the tipper bucket toward the wall, strikes the baflie 2-3 A portion of the finer material passes through the grid formed by the bars of the baffle while the rest of the material,

comprising the coarser particles, is deflected downwardly and away from the wall.

It will thus be seen that the tipper bucket collects the various grades or types of materials as the fines and the coarse, the heavy and the light into small bodies from a continuous conveyor or stream and acts to deposit these small bodies intermittently and alternately in different directions about the surface of the stack in the kiln. Inasmuch as the top revolves, the deposition will take place on opposite sides of a median line, and as in the above illustrative embodiment, in concentric circles. The action of the bafile or screen against which the material is discharged is to modify the uniformity of distribution of material due to the action of the tipper bucket in so far as to cause a part of the finer material to be deposited adjacent to the walls of the kiln and since the open spaces between the materials along the walls are smaller, depreciation of the wall or lining is decreased in view of a lower rate of combustion.

The charging device, as above illustrated, therefore acts to deposit the batches substantially uniformly about the surface of the stack in the kiln in two concentric circles with a protective layer of finer material adjacent the walls. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the deposition of the material in concentric circles, but that by suitable gearing or other arrangement the tipper bucket may be operated so as to discharge in different directions but not in concentric circles. The deposition in this manner would be more at random over all portions of the surface of the stack with attendant uniform distribution.

The operation of the charging device, as above outlined, occasions an even and uniform distribution of the charging material substantially throughout the kiln and with an absence of the formation of chimneys, thus obviating the tendency to too rapid burning in certain portions, with an insufficient burning in others. The production of a rich gas, for example, in a lime kiln is occasioned when a minimum of fuel or coke is used. This follows from the consideration that when limestone is decomposed by heat into calcium oxide and carbon dioxide, no inert gas is produced. On the other hand, converting the coke or fuel into carbon dioxide requires oxygen from the air which carries with it for every one volume of oxygen four volumes of an inert gas, nitrogen, which dilutes the carbon dioxide. Therefore, a low coke consumption requiring relatively less air for combustion of the coke, results in the production of a richer gas. Uniform distribution of the charged material as given by the charging device, herein described, insures a low coke consumption with resulting formation of a rich gas, the advantages of which will be apparent.

Since certain changes may be made in the con- 3 struct'ion described without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing, shall be interpreted as illustrative and notin a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A charging device comprising in combination a kiln, a revolvable top on said kiln, a hopper and a chute leading from the hopper to an opening in the top of the kiln and positioned on said top, a tipper bucket comprising side walls and a partitioning member therebetween whereby said bucket is divided into pockets, and a grid bafiie positioned adjacent to said tipper bucket and between a discharge side thereof and the wall of said kiln.

2. A charging device comprising in combination a kiln, means for discharging material to be treated in said kiln thereinto and a grid baflie positioned adjacent to said means and between a discharge side thereof and the wall of said kiln.

3. In combination a kiln or furnace having a heating chamberand a revolvable top for said chamber, a tipper bucket arranged for batching materials fed thereto and discharging successive batches alternately in diiferent horizontal directions, said tipper bucket being supported by said top and positioned within said heating chamber for direct discharge of material from said tipper bucket to the surface of material within said heating chamber and means for feeding solid material from outside said kiln or furnace to said tipper bucket.

4. In combination a kiln or furnace having a heating chamber, a tipper bucketarranged for batching materials fed thereto and discharging successive batches alternately in different horizontal directions, said tipper bucket being ar-' ranged for direct discharge of material to the surface of material within said heating chamber, means for moving the tipper bucket horizontally over the surface of material within said heating chamber, and means for .feeding solid material from outside said kiln or furnace to said tipper bucket.

5. In combination with a kiln or furnace, a chute leading from the outside of the kiln or furnace to a point within the heating chamber of said kiln or furnace, means for introducing solid material to said chute, means Within said heating chamber for receiving solid material discharged from said chute, accumulating said material in batches andintermittently discharging the batches of material successively in different directions to the surface of material in said heating chamber, and means for moving said last mentioned means in a horizontal direction withinsaid heating chamber above the surface of the material therein. 7

' RAGNER O. COMER. 

